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Monolith developing next-gen title Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

The Lord of the Rings is getting a return visit this time by developer Monolith who announces Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. It's not in the vein of a first-person adventure, but a third-person open world.

It's set between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and we play as lone ranger Talion. It uses the new Nemesis System, where surviving enemies 'learn and adapt'.

Apparently the Batman: Arkham series has been a big influence on Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, as Monolith knew they needed to achieve that kind of status with LOTR.

"Mordor is such an exciting setting to be able to show it in a way that it’s never been seen before," Monolith told Game Informer. The gap between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings remains fertile ground for exploitation. They revealed a little more about Talion, saying he was "part ranger, part wraith" - that remark remains cloaked in mystery.

Talion's family was butchered by Sauron and his forces within Mordor in a time before it became the pit of blackness shown in the Peter Jackson films. It's the Nemesis System that provides an interesting twist whereby enemies that survive your aggression will learn from the player. Enemies also have unique names and can even effect the world.

"In Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, players will explore the dark and very personal theme of vengeance in a world where decisions have a consequence, and those consequences persist even after death," said SVP Samantha Ryan from Warner Bros. Interactive. "The game introduces new gameplay mechanics to the action genre, creating opportunities for emergent and customized gameplay that will be rewarding for players."

Monolith declare there's "nothing more important than this project right now" for the studio. The Lord of the Rings has had to endure many 'shovelware' titles in the past, so here's hoping it can achieve an Arkham moment.